The present invention relates to an arrangement for supporting the wheel or the hub of a driven wheel of a motor vehicle and particularly to an arrangement for supporting the wheel or the wheel hub by a combined radial and axial bearing and for driving the same through a homokinetic joint.
Arrangements for supporting the driven wheel hub or boss on which a wheel is mounted are well known. In such arrangements the hub is driven by a rotary axle through a homokinetic joint capable of allowing the wheel to pivot and is rotatably supported on the chassis of the vehicle by a radialaxial bearing (referred to herein as a Radiax bearing) associated with the homokinetic joint. In general, the outer ring of the Radiax bearing of such an arrangement is provided with a flange adapted to be attached to the chassis or other wheel support secured to the chassis and an inner ring which is adapted to be connected to the wheel hub or boss and with the driven portion of the homokinetic joint. In one such well known embodiment shown in the German patent publication DOS No. 1,915,932, guideways or grooves for the balls of the homokinetic joint are formed directly in the bore of the inner race ring of the Radiax bearing. In this form the inner race ring of the Radiax bearing also forms the driven member of the homokinetic joint and transmits the torque from the axle via the balls to the wheel. In another well known design shown in German patent publication DOS No. 2,104,929, the driven member of the homokinetic joint extends within the bore of the inner race ring of the Radiax bearing and is welded to the latter to form a permanent attachment. In both cases, the driven part or member of the homokinetic joint is combined permanently with the Radiax bearing to form one indissoluble and inseparable unit. Thus, in the event of damage to the race members or elements of the homokinetic joint, the entire wheel bearing unit must be replaced. The same thing also happens when the wheel bearing or Radiax is itself damaged. Further, the homokinetic joint is known to wear more rapidly and must be replaced periodically.
Another drawback of the known arrangements arises from the fact that in many vehicles it is necessary to provide for a certain degree of axial shifting between the driving shaft or rotating axle and the driven wheel hub or wheel member itself. Such axial shifting is not readily possible in the known arrangements due to the rigid fixing and joining of the parts of the homokinetic joint with the wheel bearing or Radiax unit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for supporting and driving a wheel or a wheel hub, of the type described in which the disadvantages and defects of the prior art arrangements are overcome.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for supporting and driving a wheel or wheel hub, of the type described in which the homokinetic joint and the Radiax bearing are easily separable from each other so that either the homokinetic joint or the Radiax bearing may be replaced separately and individually without any difficulty.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for supporting and driving a wheel or wheel hub, of the type described, in which a degree of axial shifting between the driving shaft or rotating axle and the driven wheel or hub member is permitted.
The foregoing objects, together with other objects and the numerous advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following disclosure of certain embodiments of the invention.